Nightmare Soldiers
by Cloud Ishida
Summary: With the fall of three of the Dark Masters, a new plan to reunite the Nightmare Soldiers begins. And one of them is one of the Digidestined and Digimon's own.
1. Elegant LadyDevimon

DISCLAIMER: Digimon owned by Bandai, Toei and Saban and whoever.  
  
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This takes place after Tai and the others beat MachineDramon but before their confrontation with LadyDevimon in season 01. So the kids are still seperated and angst flying around. The title "Nightmare Soldiers" comes from the group someone refers LadyDevimon is in (that should give you an idea of the story). And some other stuff will be explained in other parts when needed.  
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"Nightmare Soldiers-Act 1: Elegant LadyDevimon"  
By Cloud Ishida  
  
  
"That's the last one." Hikari placed the last of the cross on the bound of soil. She bowed her head in respect for her lost friends, "Goodbye Numemon, and thank you." Gatomon mimed her partner and bowed.  
  
Taichi lifted his sister up to her feet with a sympathetic look, "I don't want to rush this but we really better get going. All we need to do is beat Piedmon and everything will be back to normal." Hikari slowly nodded. "Hey, don't be so sad. After we kick Piedmon's butt, the Numemon can be reborn again." He showered her with his trademark wide-eyed grin and hugged her. She couldn't help but smile back.  
  
"So, where should we go?" Sora asked. She finished checking on the digimon and making sure the burial sight would be undisturbed.   
  
Koushiro opened his pineapple laptop and uploaded the map of the Digital World, "Hmm... Piedmon is probably on top of Spiral Mountain. And the landscape restricts for any suprise attack." He continued to type out other plans to invade but none were successful. Tentomon buzzed over to Koushiro and helped in the programs.  
  
"...That means we have no choice but to attack head on." Taichi didn't like the idea. The odds were very much against the remaining Digidestined that followed him. His thoughts circulated with doubts in his leadership; what did he do wrong to cause everyone to seperate? Despite these doubts, he knew everyone will come together in the end, but he felt a foreboding premonition of the day when they'll meet.  
  
Agumon caught the apprehensive look from his partner, "Tai? Don't worry Tai, I'll be here to protect you..."  
  
"I know Agumon," he acknowledged his friend, "I know you will."  
  
Takeru looked up from praying with Hikari over the Numemon graves, and saw Tai in deep thought. He had been doing a lot of introspection lately, and everyone noticed. "C'mon Patamon." The pudgy digimon flew on Takeru's cap and was transported to Taichi. "Tai? Are you okay?" the tiny blonde asked.  
  
Taichi snapped out of his trance, "Huh? Oh, yeah T.K. I'm fine. I was just thinking about the others."  
  
"The others are okay Tai. Mimi has Jyou. Remember how he got himself captured by that Veggiemon for me? And Mimi's a lot stronger than she looks, right Patamon?" Takeru lifted off the digimon and nestled him in his arms.  
  
"Right T.K.!" Patamon chirped out. "And they have Palmon and Gomamon to protect them!"  
  
"And Matt's big and strong; he can beat anybody!" Takeru's face lightened with the thought of his brother.   
  
"And Gabumon is with him too!" Patamon assured.  
  
Taichi couldn't help but smile and scratched Patamon's head, "I'm sure he is T.K. And you're right. They're all alright." He had no doubts why Takeru received the Crest of Hope.  
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"Hmph. I knew the others were weaker than me but weaker than the Digidestined?" Piedmon pondered at the demised of the three Dark Masters. "What an embarrasing way to die."  
  
"Well, you should have done better than to trust them to kill the children." A harsh female voice echoed in his throne room.   
  
Piedmon sneered from the intrusion, "You think you, an Ultimate could have done better, LadyDevimon?"  
  
A tall woman, clad in black with long, dead-white hair flowing like ghosts permeated through the ceiling. "But still you can't beat me in battle. Ironic isn't it?" She playfully teased the dark clown.  
  
"Don't rub it in. So, do you have a plan in mind?" He took her hand in his and kissed it in a regal manner.   
  
LadyDevimon responed with a curtsy, "Don't I always." Both setting down to the floor of the room, Piedmon activated images of the Digidestined, a profile of each child and digimon. "What you've been doing 'wrong', " she emphisized the word wrong, "is to recreate the mistake Devimon and Myotismon made."  
  
Piedmon smiled, "Only you are so bold enough to criticize me."  
  
"And I enjoy doing it." She brushed a finger across his cheek and resumed her criticism, "Why are the Digidestined successful all this time?"  
  
"Because they just don't know how to die?"   
  
"Perhaps," she said, holding back a grin, "but they have something you over looked something we also have." LadyDevimon caught his attention. "You sent those pitiful Dark Masters on their own. The Digidestined always had each other, their friendship to keep them strong. In other words, it has been the many versus the one."  
  
"What are you trying to say?" His curiosity was growing.  
  
"We need to bring together our group...what's left of it anyway."  
  
Piedmon uncrossed his arms, "The Nightmare Soldiers? But more than half of us are gone."  
  
LadyDevimon glided over to the throne and took a seat, "Devimon and Myotismon will be reborn soon. Wizardmon was too much of a goody-good to play our little game any way but he could be persuaded back."  
  
"Most of our group was killed in Myotismon's little take over of Earth... Such a waste." Slight pity echoed from the words. "It seems we are in limited supply of any good soldiers."   
  
"But I know of one that will join us again." LadyDevimon smiled with joy from the thought. "All we have to do is make him remember. And it will be a major blow to the Digidestined at the sametime."  
  
Piedmon caught on to the plan, "You mean him?" He pointed to the image of their target on screen. She verified the image in laughter and Piedmon joined in.  
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"Are we there yet Jyou?" Mimi whined in the uphill climb that never seemed to end.  
  
Jyou panted as he lead the small army up the hill, "For the millionth time Mimi, no." Meramon, Frigimon, Ogremon and the others marched behind him while Gomamon was given a piggy-back ride by Jyou. "Gomamon, couldn't you just walk like the rest of us? You're getting too heavy."  
  
Gomamon looked up and saw Jyou's irritated expression. "Flippers aren't made for walking you know." the furry seal teased. "Besides, you're doing just fine carrying me."  
  
"You're level of laziness astounds me sometimes." Jyou joked. He looked behind him to check on his troops to see they too were equally tired as him. "Why don't we rest up for a bit." Gomamon was let down to the ground.  
  
"All right!" Mimi and Palmon screamed at once. They dropped to the ground with complete exhaustion. "Do we have anything to eat?" the pink girl asked. She innocently looked to Jyou and he knew what she was asking for.  
  
"Fine, I'll go look for some food." He reluctantly accepted the job knowing she would ask until he gave in. "Anyone want to help?"  
  
"Just lead the way Jyou." The blue haired boy looked down to his digimon.  
  
"Don't tell me you want me to carry you again..."  
  
Gomamon started to waddled off with Meramon and Frigimon, "When food's involved, I can do anything!" Jyou gave a huge sigh, but a smile creeped to his lips. Gomamon always managed to do that.  
  
He turned to Ogremon, "Could you look after Mimi and the others?" The wide-mouthed digimon happily obliged and Jyou sprinted towards the hunting party.  
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"Are you sure you're okay Matt?" Gabumon looked up to his blonde friend with puppy eyes, "We've been walking all day and night. You should rest."  
  
Yamato stumbled through the thickets of the Forest of Delusion. His eyes were weary, and the dark rings under them didn't help. "I'm fine Gabumon. Just a little more."  
  
"That's what you said two hours ago, and two hours before that." Gabumon criticised but Yamato kept on walking. "C'mon Matt. If you really want to keep going, I won't stop you but at least let me carry you. Your knees are shaking. You're not strong enough to carry on like this." Yamato stopped before a thorn covered vine, and looked down at his digimon with a hurt in his eyes. Gabumon caught sight of it quickly and regretted the last remark, "Matt, I'm sorry but I just want to make sure you're all right. You shouldn't strain yourself like this. GABUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO... GARURUMON!" The blue wolf knelt down beside the blonde, waiting for him to accept the ride.  
  
Yamato looked up at the golden yellow eyes and then to his own body. His clothes had small tathers from the thorns, and he seemed to have lost weight, a lot of weight. His arms were skin and bones from the lack of nutrition. Gabumon's comment made Yamato think. He knew he wasn't strong; he was strong enough to start fights but not enough to end them. The constant physical fights with Taichi proved that. Taichi being a soccer athlete gave him an extra edge. In fact, he really was tired, and hoped Gabumon did offer the ride but refused to be a burden on him. If he was to find his path in life, he had to do it on his own. Garurumon patiently waited and when he felt a hand on his side and he smiled in response. "Thanks Garurumon." Yamato climed on his back with the help of Garurumon's tail lifting him.  
  
"Hold on tight Matt cause I'm gonna run like the wind."  
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Taichi's group finally arrived at the base of Spiral Mountain. "We have to climb up that?" Taichi took out his mini-telescope and scanned the top of the mountain. "Man, it'll take forever."  
  
Koushirou stepped up beside him, "We have no choice but to go up. All we gotta do now is to decide how to get up there."  
  
"I can carry you guys up there!" Piyomon extended her help, "I can be big enough to carry you all."  
  
"No." Taich interceded, "We'll need to be at full strength if we want to have a good chance with Piedmon. We'll walk."   
  
Sora was a bit surprised by Taichi's reaction. But she also welcomed it. It meant he was taking this very seriously; the way a leader should. "He's right Piyomon. Save the digivolving for the battle." Piyomon reluctantly agreed.  
  
"Well, we better get going if we want to arrive there before nightfall." Tentomon buzzed and Koushiro agreed with him. "I'll scout ahead in case any traps are la-" Tentomon was cut off by the sight above the group.  
  
Takeru's eyes widened by the dark image above and his voice becoming quieter, "Is that...Devimon?!...." Patamon flew off from Takeur's hat to his arms. He came to the same conclusion to the identity of the figure.   
  
Taichi stared to the sky with his mini-scope. He held his breath as he saw a familiar figure by the dark one's side, "Who ever that is, Piedmon's with it...and it looks like it's heading right for us....."  
  
The black figure made a downward motion and both it and Piedmon flew down towards the Digidestined. Each of their digimon took their place beside their partner, ready to digivolve and fight. But surprisingly, Piedmon and the dark figure only hovered over the children and digimon. Piedmon was the first to speak, "...He's not here."  
  
Takeru finally found the courage to speak, "Are, are you Devimon?" he asked softly.  
  
The dark figure turned to the small child and only smiled, "My, what a sweet voice. No I'm not child. I am LadyDevimon, Second-in-Command of the Nightmare Soldiers." She made a curtsy in mid-air, and being very elegant with each of her movements.  
  
"Nightmare Soldiers? Who are you talking about?..." Koushiro's curiosity got the better of him. He worked on his laptop day and night and he had never heard of such group.  
  
Taichi kept a cautious distance from the two figures, but he felt no hostility from them. Agumon, however, didn't want to take any chances and digivolved, "AGUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO...GREYMON! NOVA BLAST!"  
  
The aim was on target with LadyDevimon, but the fireball was simply snuffed out upon impact with her body, "My my, violent aren't we? BLACK WING!" Her left hand morphed in to a giant spike and with lightning speed, slashed Greymon across his chest.   
  
"Greymon!!" Taichi ran to his digimon's side. Blood dripped down LadyDevimon's weapon and Greymon de-evolved but the gash was still pumping with blood. Taichi supported Agumon on his knees and called for the others for help.   
  
The black weapon molded back to her giant, clawed hand and wiped the blood off on the ground. "We have no quarells with you...yet. And an Ultimate against a Champion isn't very fair is it?"  
  
"I suggest we leave LadyDevimon. We need to find him quickly to move everything into place." Piedmon gently took her hand in his. LadyDevimon nodded in agreement.  
  
"Wait!" Sora shouted, "Who are you talking about? Who are you looking for?!"  
  
LadyDevimon turned her head, with her long snow-white hair flowing in circles, "One of you're own." With that the two dark soldiers took flight again, leaving the children and digimon with blank faces.  
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"I'm so stuffed I won't be eating for a week." Gomamon rubbed his stomach from the feast he gulfed down. Cores and seeds of fruits littered the ground along with bones of fishes. Ogremon and the rest had their share of food but most of it seemed to go down Gomamon's stomach.   
  
"Wow, this was the best picnic ever!" Mimi beamed with satisfaction and Palemon commmented the same; althought the plant digimon had no idea what a "picnic" was. Jyou however was still standing guard and only had an apple-like fruit to eat. He didn't mind; his mind was set on finding the others and the final battle.   
  
But what he didn't expect was the final enemy coming to him for battle. Jyou's glasses almost slipped off at the two figures walking the group's way. One was a tall black figure and the other, unmistakably Piedmon. "Oh no... Hey guys! We've got major trouble!!" Jyou ran from his lookout at the top of the hill to warn the others. "IT'S PIEDMON!!!!" The name got everyone to their feet and fear striking in their hearts.   
  
Piedmon and LadyDevimon reached the top of the hill on foot and observed the panic surrounding the so-called army below. "That's all they could get? A few scrawny digimon?" Piedmon snickered at the sight but LadyDevimon held a firm expression.  
  
"He's not here either. We won't bother with them yet." And the two flew off once again.  
  
Jyou and Mimi were in disbelief when they saw the two withdraw, "Uhh...did I miss something?..." And everyone thought of the same question as Jyou.   
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"I guess this is the best place to rest." Yamato jumped off Garurumon's back and the blue wolf de-evolved to Gabumon. "Are you hungry Gabumon?"   
  
"Just a bit. And it's starting to get dark, we better find some shelter too." Gabumon surveyed the surroundings. They were in a tiny opening in the Forest of Delusions, and no caves and such seemed to be in sight. Yamato scrounged the surrounding for food and his eyes caught on strangely pigmented fruits. They were the size of grapefruits, red and violet skin with a bright pink and green coloured flower sprouting from each one. The aroma from the flowers were irresistably sweet as honey. Yamato reached a gloved hand out to pick one of the strange vegetation but a furry blue paw grabbed his arm. "Wait Matt!" Gabumon pulled the boy's hand away from the vibrant fruit and sniffed the floweres himself.   
  
Gabumon pushed Yamato back, "Hey Gabumon! What's wrong?"  
  
"I've heard about this plant Matt and I think it's the one we should avoid." Gabumon explained his cautions, "I was told once of a fruit that was so tempting and juicy that it captures the attention of any digimon. But it contain's a toxin in the bulb of the flower where no digimon infected with it ever survived." The warning sent chills down Yamato's spine. "I'll look for something. You stay and rest." Despite Yamato's protests, Gabumon won him over to stay put.   
  
The digimon left for the forest and Yamato laid in the open grass. The sunlight managed to shine through the foiliage of the trees to warm his skin. His eyes drooped instantly and waited for sleep to come. He felt quiet and calm. Having Gabumon by his side was helping him cope with his doubts and find his path in life. But at the same time, a sense of fear lingered in his heart. Fear from what was still unknown even to himself. His thoughts constantly returned to his little brother and to the others. Was it the right decision to leave them? Or was it another selfish act he made? With the thought hanging in his mind, he felt the warmth of the sun fade and a cold chill hanging in the air.   
  
Yamato opened his eyes to an unexpected figure standing over him. "Good. You're awake." Her voice was monotone.  
  
"Now he's ours for the taking, don't you agree LadyDevimon?" From the corner of Yamato's blue eyes, Piedmon walked to her side. LadyDevimon?!?! He couldn't believe who it was. She was the spitting image of Devimon.  
  
His instincts kicking in, Yamato rolled away from the giant woman and sprinted in the opposite direction from her. Almost reaching the covers of the forest, Yamato turned to his head to his persuers. But there was no one there to persue him. He slowed down his pace and eventually stopped in confusion. "Where did they go?" Not wanting to take any chances, Yamato turned to head for the forest but instead ran into a black wall. LadyDevimon stood arms crossed. Yamato turned the other way for escape but Piedmon blocked the path. Caught between two virus digimon, the situation was looking grim. Before he could make another step, LadyDevimon's giant claws wrapped around the blonde's neck and lifting him twice his height in the air. "Let,...go.." he choked out. "Gabumon!!" he yelled for his friend to save him from the death grip.  
  
LadyDevimon smiled at his calls, "That's right. Bring him here." She let enough air pass through the blonde's throat for the cries of help echo through the forest.  
  
Soon enough, both their wishes came true.  
  
"MA--TT!!" Gabumon rushed to the clearing with the two viruses and his friend gathered. Yamato gripped the black claws in an attempt to break free but she was much too strong. Gabumon saw the fear in his blue eyes and rage filled his heart, "GABUMON, WARP DIGIVOLVE TO...--"  
  
"Not so fast!" Piedmon interrupted. "I suggest you refrain from such violence if you don't want him to snap in two." Gabumon stood frozen. He couldn't take the chance of the viruses hurting Yamato. "Now, let's talk like old times."  
  
"...What are you talking about?" Gabumon growled.  
  
"Don't tell us you forgot about your friends?" LadyDevimon turned to the horned digimon, "If you wish to digi-volve then go right ahead. But if you digivolve into Mega, then he's dead. Simple to understand isn't it?" She squeezed tighter on the small boy's neck and Gabumon could hear the gasping for air.  
  
"GABUMON, DIGIVOLVE TO...GARURUMON! GARURUMON DIGIVOLVE TO...WEREGARURUMON!!" The blue were wolf stared intently on the two Viruses and eyed his partner. Every heaving gasp Yamato made, the wolf's heart skipped a beat. "Let him go."  
  
Piedmon stood between WereGarurumon and LadyDevimon, "We have little interest in the boy. You know why we're here, or have those children sucked your memories as well?" WereGarurumon refused to answer as his attention was still on his partner. "Fine. LadyDevimon, drop him." The fallen angel complied with the order and released the blonde boy from her grasp. Yamato landed with a thud on the hard ground. "Now, let's talk shall we?"  
  
"We have nothing to talk about, KAISER NAIL!!" Red streaks of light sprouted from the were wolf's claws blazing past the swift dark clown.   
  
LadyDevimon countered with her own attack, "Darkness Wave!!" WereGarurumon easily dodged it with his supreme agility. The black attack instead cut through the colourful fruits Yamato was about to pick before. The bulbs of the plant oozed out its purple toxin on the ground below. It was a flood of sap spilling in a sensuous aroma of honey.   
  
Piedmon was not amused by the attack from the were wolf, "I guess I just have to make you remember. CLOWN TRICK!" A blaze of light smashed into WereGarurumon and intrapped him in a cage of darkness. "Don't worry. I'm just bringing you back to your senses." Roars of pain screamed within the dark binding. WereGarurumon's mind was overloading with images and feelings of the past.   
  
Yamato couldn't stand hearing the screams anymore. He ran over to his fallen friend, digging his fingers into the dark cage to reach him, "WereGarurumon! Hold on!" Yamato deperately searched for an opened as the roars became louder. "WereGarurmon!!" Piedmon and LadyDevimon watched in amusement at the boy's feeble attempts to free his digimon. Their confidence in the link of the Nightmare Soldiers gave them no reason to worry.  
  
WereGarurumon could faintly hear the callings of his human friend, "M, Matt..." He felt a new energy serging within him, a very nostalgic feeling. The visions he witnessed awakened his memories, the faces of past digimon he knew, loved and hated. And the face that means the world to him now. And that face had blue eyes crying in front of him. Matt..  
  
The soft orange eyes faded and blood red ones took their place.   
  
The dark cage dissapated along with the were wolf's screams. WereGarurumon sat up and Yamato, extatic he was alright, hugged him as if it was his last. The blonde buried his head in the the werewolf's furry collar. The digimon stroked Yamato's back to comfort him. "I'm so glad you're alright..." Yamato whispered.  
  
"I'm glad I am." WereGarurumon responded. Then he plunged his claws through the back of the green collared sweater and blood soaked through.  
  
Yamato felt five points of pain on his back. He slowly looked up to the red eyes of the source of the pain, "Were,..Garu..ru...mon....." The pain from the wound wasn't choking his words, it was the red eyes staring right back at him. They had the same sparkle Gabumon had, but another monster resided in them. "Ah..Were...Ga..."   
  
The were wolf stared solemnly at him, "I hope it doesn't hurt too much." He ripped his claws across the blonde's back slashing through the shirt and blood seeping through even more. Yamato yelped in agony and arched back from the pain, gripping the blue fur even harder. His blue eyes pleaded with his digimon for an answer, and what he got wasn't what he expected, "Don't take this personally. But an enemy is an enemy."  
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How's that for a clifhanger? Excuse the grammer and spelling mistakes, no time to proofread. So how do you like it so far? Was LadyDevimon's and Piedmon's victim unexpected? This part kinda went too fast I think. But keeping the pace fast keeps the fic intresting right? Well, more to come.  
  
Please review. It really does help a writer to become confident in writing any piece of work whether it's fanfiction, poems or original stories. Knowing there are names behind the reader says a lot. And this goes for any author and story you read.   
  



	2. Imperial Piedmon

**DISCLAIMER: Digimon owned by Toei, Bandai, Saban and whoever. Sadly not by me -_-**

Really sorry for hte lateness of this, been so busy with a funny thing called "life"^_^ Thanx for the reviews people. I was hoping to make Piedmon's and LadyDevimon's victim a surprise and it looks like I did that. Sorry for not e-mailing to those who asked, I'm really busy and barely had time to write this part. Well, enough chit-chat, let's get back to the story. 

By the way, in the fic, Jyou's crest goes by the Japanese version, which is the crest of Faith, instead of Reliability. And Kaiser Nail is Wolf Claw(WereGarurumon's attack). 

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**Nightmare Soldiers-Act 2: Imperial Piedmon**   
By Cloud Ishida 

"It doesn't make sense." Jyou was still in a stated of confusion, "Why would Piedmon and that giant woman just leave like that? I mean, we were basically sitting ducks!" 

"Ya know, sometime's it's best to just be glad things happen the way they happen." Gomamon waddled on his own four feet, instead of being in his partners arms. 

Ogremon and the other digimon took the lead with Mimi close behind. She was still her hyper-active self, but the thought of the sudden encounter with Piedmon still lingered. Palmon stuck close by, in case hte two Viruses did return. 

"AARROOOOO------!!!" 

"What the heck was that?!" Jyou sputtered out. A piercing how echoed through the sky. All of the marchers stopped dead in their tracks. Mimi clinged on to Palmon while Palmon clinged on to Mimi. Ogremon and the others surrounded the frightened two from whatever attack came their way. 

"AROO---!!" 

Another howl sounded, but the this time, Gomamon's keen sense of hearing made his eyes go wide, "It sounded like...Garurumon, or WereGarurumon..." 

Jyou stiffened, "You don't think it's Matt's Garurumon...do you?" He turned to see Mimi's equally worried face. _She's scared.. But if it is Matt, we have to help..._ "...It could be Piedmon..." 

"Then we should go ever and help Matt!" Palmon shouted and the rest of the battalion roared in agreement. 

"Wait!" Jyou stepped in front of the group, "It may be a different Garurumon, or one of Piedmon's traps...." With a deep breath, he made a firm decision, "I'll go check it out. You guys continue on to Spiral Mountain." Securing his medical bag, and attempting to hold a defiant pose, he motioned for the group to go on, but they all held faces of doubt and worry. _Don't you guys trust me? If you can't have faith in me, than why would I have the Crest of Faith?..._

Mimi's fear of battle returned, "But Jyou, you can't go alone..." 

"Of course he won't!" Gomamon crawled up to the tall boy's arms. "He's gonna have me along!" 

"You have to lead them Mimi. Tai's counting on us to come together again." Jyou tries to calm her down, but she still looks as if she's about to cry. 

Palmon tugs on her dress, stroking it gently to soothe her, "Don't worry Mimi. Jyou knows what he's doing. He always does remember?" The blue haired boy smiled, _At least one of them has faith in me._ Mimi slowly nods, much to her dismay. Gathering all the corage she could, the pink girl started the march with her soldiers behind. 

Smiling at his disappering friends, Jyou turns towards the location of the sound, "Well Gomamon, it looks like it's just you and my." 

"I know, it's gonna be a looong walk." Gomamon teased. Jyou grins but hides it under his annoyed look. Even in tense moments, Gomamon still manages to squeeze out a smile from him.   


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"Ahhgg--!!" The giant hand wrapped around hte tiny body, slamming him to the nectar-soaked ground. WereGarurumon towered over him. Yamato cringed from the pain originating from his back upon impact. He layed in hte pool of the sweet nectar of the plant Gabumon warned him about. The bulbs were slashed open by stray shots of the Werewolf's and LadyDevimon's attacks. 

Yamato could feel the thick, purple liquid entering his wounds, filling him with it's intoxicating smell. It was cold, yet soothing. The blonde didn't mind dripping in it; it was like a pain-killer, making him forget his wounds. "Were,..Ga..ruru.... Why?.." The same question escaped his lips over and over. 

WereGarurumon remained silent. He reached down to the Yamato's chest, and pulled out a tiny gold object. Nest he grabbed the screen-cracked digivice from the blonde's belt. "Please...answer me.." Yamato pleaded. If the werewolf continued to attack, he know he would die, killed by the hands of his own friend. Whatever Piedmon did to him, it seemed stronger than the bonds of friendship. 

"This is it." The wolf finally grunted out. He took Yamato by the throat, arching his free arm back, claws ready to strike. Yamato continued to stare at him with pleading eyes, hoping for sanity to return to his friend. Then the words of of doom began, "Kaiser..." Yamato shut his eyes and waited for the final blow. "Tai! SLow down!" Sora cried out from behind. The kids including the digimon were falling metres behind their leader, "T.K and Kari can't deep up while holding Agumon!" 

Taichi reluctantly stopsin his tracks., "We've got to find hte others before Piedmon and that freak woman finds them!" Anger bursted out in his words, and all the others backed off. He realized he was becoming so aggressive by each passing moment, "I, I'm sorry gyes. We just need to keep moving. We have to get to the others." He turns to his digimon partner being helf up by Hikari and Takeru. _We won't be able to reach them fast enough at this rate..._ "Piyomon, could you digivolve and carry us?" The pink bird nods furiously. She waited for someone to ask for the offer she gave before. 

"Tai, are you sure?" Koushiro stepped up from the group, "What if we meet with Piedmon? Like you said, we'll need to be at full energy." 

"I don't think we have to worry about that Izzy." Tentomon buzzed. "LadyDevimon maybe a Virus, but she's know for her nobility and trust. In a way, she's a model digimon." 

"Except for the fact she'll kill you ten times before you hit the ground." Gatomon added. She wasn't exactly the most optimistic, but her perky behaviour often brang out the best in the kids and digimon. This wasn't the one of those times, "I know about the Nightmare Soldiers. They were one of the most unbeatable team in the whole Digiworld. And most aggressive too. Haven't you guys heard about them before?" she asked the other digimon. All their eyes diverted to the ground or to the sky, each one looking very uncomfortable. "What is it? Cat got your tongues?" 

Tacihi crossed his arms, and a look of irritation on his face, "Look, we don't have time to chit-chat about old times, we gotta move." 

Gatomon took over Hikari's job of holding Agumon, "I agree. We can search faster and in a large area at once." Then she whispered quiet enough for only Hikari to hear, "And get him to back off. Tai's been really edgy lately." Looking at her brother, the girl nodded in agreement. 

"Alright Piyomon, " Sora turned to her partner, "do your stuff." 

As Piyomon digivolved to Birdramon, Taichi returned to his introspection again. That dark premonition he had before hasn't lifted. A part of him was still anxious by the next evets. Looking up to the sky, he whispered his worry into the emptyness, "Whatever happens guys, stay alive."   


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"Kaiser Nai--" 

"Wait!" The elongated black fingers wrapped around WereGarurumon's arm, just an inch away from Yamato's face. "You don't have to kill him now. He is your friend isn't he?" LadyDevimon's voice crooned the werewolf to calm. 

"He is our enemy. And all our enemies must be destroyed." As soon as those words left his mouth, WereGarurumon dropped the blonde to the ground below. The splash of the nectar echoed through the forest. 

"As much as I would love to see a DigiDestined meet his end," the dark angel continued, "he is your friend and I severly doubt you would finish the job of killing him." She pointed to the panting boy below, trying to catch his breath, "Those are only surface wounds, nothing vital broken." 

WereGarurumon stared down at his fallen partner. Regret and sorrow filled him, seeing his beloved friend like this, "I'm sorry Matt... I didn't mean.. But I thought you both wanted me to..." he turned his attention to LadyDevimon and Piedmon. 

"we may kill for sport bur we're not savages!: The regal Piedmon made a scornful look. "Murder him or mother him, I don't really care at the moment. As much as I love to see blood spilt, he is your friend." 

For minutes, WereGarurumon remained silent. The boy layed before him was his life as it was destined, the one he was sworn to protect. But hthe pain he inflicted on him now... Then there was the Nightmare Soldiers, the only true family he know before meeting with Yamato. How could he support both of them when they were mortal enemies? Sudenly, whimpers echoed from the blonde, full consciousness taking over him. The werewolf turned to Piedmon, "So you don't care if he's..." 

"Of course I would." The dark emperor replied flatly, "but you have been one of my finest soldiers in the past, so you deserve to have this option. Whatever it is, I will support it." Instincts from his past made WereGarurumon bow before his emperor. It was hard no to notice Piedmon's imperial nature. "But you must disarm him." 

The werewolf's eyes shot straight up to his emperor, "But..!!" 

Surprisingly, Piedmon gave a short chuckle, "Not literally...although that is an interesting thought. Destroy his crest, but give me his digivice." Eyeing the crest in his blue hand, he tossed the digivice obediantly to his lord, "Both of you finish things here. I'm going ahead to Primary Village." Leaping swiftly into the air, the emperor glided swiftly through the clouds. 

WereGarurumon turned behind him to see Yamato sitting up on his elbows. The blue eyes pleaded for his partner to stop as his crest, hanging from the giant claws, shimmered in the sunlight. 

Wrapping his giant wolf-hand around the tiny pendent, the sound of shattering glass and metal reached to the sky.   


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"Do you see anything Tai?" Koushiro asked without taking his eyes off his laptop. Birdramon soared through the cool, calm sky while balancing the children and digimon on her back. 

Taichi scoured the are ground with his mini-scope, "Nothing...but there's a forest coming up." 

Takeru looked down at the sight below, "Hey, isn't that where we came from?" Patamon fluttered on thetiny blonde's head. 

Their leader nodded. The place where everything fell apart. Friends turned into enemies, where doubts were born, where everyone left to find their own paths. 

The Forest of Delusion.   


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Yamato's eyes widened at the horror before him. 

Shards of metal and glass sprinkled to the ground. Gold and blue pieces lost their shine before the sun. Only the string intact. His Crest of Friendship, destroyed, by the hand of his friend. 

Eyes flooded with tears, his symbol of the one thing he wanted, gone. "Why...how could you......" 

"We really should get going. We need to get to Primary Village if we don't want to miss the reunion." LadyDevimon softly touched the werewolf's shoulder. 

Silently nodding, WereGarurumon bent down and reached out to Yamato. But the blonde refused. With shakey motions, Yamato stood up before the wolf, "Don't...touch me." 

WereGarurumon flinched by the words. 

"I trusted you...and you do this?....." His blue eyes were slanted, fists clenched. Without a warning, Yamato jumped at the werewolf, pounding his fists over and over against the furry chest. "How could you?! My crest! My trust! ME!!" He ignored the pain from his cuts and bruises, his anger blocked it all. 

The stiff, blue wolf too in the beating, the fists doing no damage to him physically. But the emotion behind them was tearing him apart. Not wanting his friend to hurt himself in the venting of his anger, his giant hands gripped the boy's writs, but took care in not to hurt him anymore, "Don't make this any harder Matt." 

Yamato tried to pulled away as hard as he could, but an Ultimate digimon was one of the strongest and he was just a human boy. "Let...go! Let go!!" Ignoring his demands, WereGarurumon lifted him in his arms, as a mother would hold her baby. "Put me down!" The boy continued his flurry of punches, a couple landing on the wolf's nose. The pain from his wounds completely faded, his new energy fueled by the cold, yet satisfying feeling coarsing through his veins. "Put me down or I'll--" 

"Sleep." LadyDevimon waved her black hand over the child's face; the boy's violent movements faded, arms falling in loose strands at his sides. She lifted her hand and the blue eyes were sealed behind heavy eyelids. "He's a fiesty one." 

WereGarurumon smiled, "Since the day I met him." 

"And it seems he'll be even more so." 

The wolf blinked, "What are you talking about?" 

"Don't you smell it? The sweet aroma, those spectacularly coloured fruit plants? Your friend landed on the nectar." She pointed to Yamato's soaked clothes. "He's covered by it, and certainly infected with those cuts." 

Sniffing the pleasantly scented air, he too came to the same conclusion, "Then, it is that toxin I thought it was." He looked down at the small boy in his arms, sound asleep. The purple nectar dripped from his cuts and clothes, "Oh, no." 

"Don't worry. If he's kept a close watch, he should be fine. Come, Piedmon is waiting."   


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"Are you sure this is the right way?" Jyou followed Gomamon, trusting the digimon's hearing and memory as guides. "Maybe you heard wrong." 

"Gomamon didn't bother to turn to him, "I heard what I heard coming from this direction. You're not trying to chiken out are you?" The furry seal suddenly stopped in his tracks. 

"Who, me?!" Jyou pertended to take offence, but he was a bit scared, actually, a lot scared. He didn't notice Gomamon stopping right in front and almost tripped over him, "Hey! I could've fallen and crached my head open of wor--" 

"Shh!" His green eyes scanned behind Jyou, readying to digivolve. 

A thicket started to shake with high pitched sounds eminating from it. Before the two could make a decision of fight or flight, shrieks of a familiar voice made them sigh with relief, "Jyou--? Gomamo---n?" Then the owners of the voices emerged from the throny bush. 

"Mimi?! Palmon?!" Jyou almost fell backwards from the shock, "What are you two doing here? I thought I told you to keep going!" 

"We couldn't just leave you guys alone with all the danger lurking about. Besides," Mimi said, "we told the others to go to Spiral Mountain and wait for us there." 

Palmon was busy plucking out the thorns from the thicket off of Mimi's tangled dress, "Besides, Piedmon's a Mega and you can't handle him by yourselves." 

"Shh! You guys! Look!" Gomamon stared at the sky above them. The others followed his gaze to a large, black blob in the sky, as if it was carrying something. 

Palmon gasped, "Is that...WereGarurumon?" 

"What is that thing carrying him?" Mimi took a step behind her partner. 

Jyou started to walk the opposite direction the dark figure flew. "We should know what happened if we go this way right?" The small group slowly nodded and followed their leader.   


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"Sora!" Birdramon called out. They were flying over the forest, hoping to find life. "Sora! Look over there!" She made a pecking motion in the direction of a dark, flying figure. Sora caught it immediately and tugged on Taichi's shirt for attention. 

Their leader quickly aimed his mini-scope to the mystery figure, and gasped at what he saw. "It's...LadyDevimon... And she's carrying..WereGarurumon? And...Matt!!" 

Takeru's eyes widened the instant he heard his brother's name, "Matt?! Is he all right?!" Hikari had to hold on to him, making sure he wouldn't fall off from his celebration of relief. 

"...I don't know..." Taichi saw something unusual in the image. Yamato was lying still, and WereGarurumon didn't struggle from LadyDevimon either...unless it meant they were unconscious. _What does it mean?_

"Tai! Down there!" Sora pointed to a clearing below. Four figures, specks moved across the clearing, and stopped in the middle. 

Again, Taichi saw through his mini-scope and breathed a sigh of relief for as last, some good news, "It's Jyou and the others!" But his mind kept wandering to Yamato and the woman carrying him and WereGarurumon. "Izzy, go with Tentomon and get the others. Follow us as soon as you can." 

Koushiro had a doubtful look, "But shouldn't all of us go together? We can't seperate again if we san't to..." Taichi didn't answer but the boy genius could tell he was thinking of the blonde figure floating away. They may fight until the break each other, but they were friends. Even Koushiro couldn't equate why that was, but glad it existed anyways. "Tentomon." He didn't need to say anymore, Tentomon digivolved to Kabuterimon immediately. "Don't do anything rash Tai." Koushiro jumped onto hte giant insect and headed down for the reunion. 

"Alright Birdramon," Taichi's voice became tense and rigid, "follow them, but make sure we're undetected." Birdramon made a sharp turn and slowly glided on the wind.   


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"Primary Village. How long has it been since I was a hatchling?" Piedmon towered over the new In-Fresh digimon before him. With a snap of his fingers, the three glowed in bright lights, slowly growing in size. _Being a wizard-type digimon can be so handy_

The three digimon continued to grow, power eminating from each one. The light started to fade, revealing three familiar sillouhettes. When the light completely disappated, laughter echoed from the two, while the smallest remained silent. 

"Well, aren't you going to thank me for speeding you digivolving process?" Piedmon stood with crossed arms. 

"You know how much I hate giving, 'gratitude'." Devimon growled. 

"Emperor Piedmon, been a long time." Myotismon nodded his head. 

"Lord Piedmon." Wizardmon bowed before him. 

Piedmon smiled at his old fighting partners, "Welcome back, my Nightmare Soldiers." 

* * *

Did I confuse anyone (not because of spelling and grammer mistakes>_<)? The good thing about this part? Wizardmon is back!!! YAAAY!! There was too little of him on the show and he was one of the most sweet and loyal digimon too. And LadyDevimon and Piedmon seems different from the show don't they? I thought I could bring out their (some-what) softer nature, giving them attributes that can make people doubt if they're truley evil. And for some reason, I see LadyDevimon as a mother figure...weird, no? This part also came out a bit short, but I think it came out ok. Was it bad? Have I lost my writer's touch from not writing fics for a while? I think I did... I need some inspiration... 

On a completely different topic (but kinda related), I'm sure a lot of you reading have websites. Well, I made a digimon one, and since there are A LOT of them out there, how do you increase visitors to your own site? I've linked to other digimon sites, joined webrings, and even linked it to my profiles page at FF.net (hinthint^^) and mentioned it in one of my fics. But it's really hard to spread the word. Anyone with suggestions , leave it in the reviews(LOTS OF THANX TO THOSE WHO DO!). Why I ask? Well, my big passion is to draw besides writing, and simply put, I want to know how good they are from people. Of course being a digimon site, they are digimon fanart. Sorry about this being here, but it's my first website and I want to get good at it, and I hope to be an comic artist or animator, anything doing with drawing as a profession so criticism will help me improve. 

Any reviews, about the fic or helping me with the site, will be greatly appreciated. And thank you very much for your continuing support of my writing. 


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